The four-member department cited inadequate staffing, poor pay and the quality of equipment as their reason for resigning, WWLP.com reported Tuesday. Interim Chief Roberta Sarnacki told local news that officers had been dealing with “cruisers that don’t work, bulletproof vests that are not fitted to them or might be expired, poor radio communications, inadequate staffing and improper wages.”

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Sarnacki told local news that Blandford police officers made $14 and $15 an hour, adding that the department’s best car would overheat, had no air conditioning and that the electric seat is stuck in the reclined position. The department is also reportedly down three officers and a request for new hires had recently been turned down.

The department had previously discussed combining with a second police department, WWLP.com reported, and had planned on continuing discussions next month. Sarnacki said town board members had been more focused on the merger than fixing the department’s issues, triggering the resignation.

Massachusetts State Police announced via Twitter that residents of Blandford could continue to rely on state police to protect the community, adding that it had “for decades” provided supplemental services to the town, especially during the overnight shift.